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Grass fed Steak & Organic Blueberry Salad

Posted by Sonya on Jun 27th 2018

Grass Fed Steak One of my favorite things to do each summer is weekly trips to my local farmers markets. I love challenging myself to base our meals mostly, if not entirely, on those super fresh and local ingredients. Last week both of the markets I frequent held their opening days and on Tuesday one of the things I picked up was a big bag of mixed organic greens; Tatsoi, Mizuna, and a third Asian variety whose name escapes me at the moment. My family tends to favor romaine and baby spinach but the farmer offered me a taste of the Tatsoi and I was hooked. I had a grass-fed London Broil marinating in the fridge and a pint of fresh local, organic blueberries so once I returned home, I turned on the grill and set out to combine these into a delicious salad. The bite of these greens compliments the sweet blueberries and creamy feta. I added some crunch with thinly sliced celery and chopped walnuts. Since the steak was already marinating, this dinner came together pretty quickly. While it was grilling I washed and chopped the other ingredients and quickly blended up the dressing. Dinner was on the table in 30 minutes. Ingredients: 1 lb London Broil (I prefer grass-fed beef from a local farm) 3 garlic cloves, chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 1/4 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce) Juice of one lime 1 pint blueberries, organic, divided 1⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil 6-8cups mixed Asian greens 2 cups celery, thinly sliced 1⁄4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped 1⁄4 cup feta cheese, crumbled 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced Preparation Steps: First, the marinated steak: Add garlic cloves, olive oil, coconut aminos, lime juice and steak to a gallon size ziplock bag. Seal. Shake. Marinate in fridge for 2-6 hours, flipping the bag over once or twice during marinating time. Before cooking, let meat come to room temperature. Next the salad: Heat grill to medium. Remove the grass fed steak from bag and place on pre-heated grill. Cook each side for roughly 6 minutes for medium cooked (this will depend on how thick your steak is, I always keep an instant-read thermometer nearby so I can assure the desired temp.) Once cooked, take the steak off the grill and cover. Let it rest for 5 minutes then slice against the grain into thin strips. I then cut those into bite-sized chunks. To make the dressing: In a blender or food processor, add half a cup of blueberries, the balsamic, olive oil & salt; process until combined. Between 4 plates, evenly divide the greens, celery, cooked steak, walnuts, blueberries, onion and feta. Pour dressing over the top & finish with freshly ground pepper Enjoy and Share this recipe with a friend :)

7 must have Summer Essentials

Posted by Pam Davis on Jun 24th 2018

It's here!!! Summer has arrived. We wanted to share some of our new eco-friendly finds that we think you won't want to be without. Carry All Tote Bag This sturdy African basket will be your go to bag for literally everything. Beach, play dates, farmer's market, and overnight trips. Not only will you love it, but you will be helping the women of Ghana empower their lives. $95.00 2. Cucumber Spray As it starts to heat up outside, keep this natural cucumber spray in your fridge to spray your face as a cool down treat. Made in Massachusetts, you will also want to pack this essential item in your beach cooler. $10.99 3. Zulugrass A long time favorite of ours. This African jewelry can be worn as bracelets, necklaces, and even hair ties. Combine gorgeous color strands to find your exact personality and style. Made from natural grass and blown glass beads this purchase gives back to the Maasai people of Kenya without disturbing their cultural Traditions Starts at $9.99 a strand 4. Handmade Journal This beautiful journal is handmade by artisans on the Thai-Burmese border from naturally dyed organic cotton fabric. As you lay in your hammock or on your beach towel, jot down your dreams, wishes, and good thoughts. $26.00 5. Farmer's Market Basket Fill with bok choy, kale, radishes and beets!. Generously sized, this is the perfect farmer's market basket. When not at the farm, leave it for a catch all for toys, shoes, pet items or knitting supplies! Beautifully handcrafted from elephant grass this basket is fair trade and unique. $56.00 6. Wave Ring A gentle reminder of the waves you love at the beach. This beautiful sterling silver ring is simple and stylish. $14.00 7. Lightweight Scarf This airy breezy Scarf is perfect for summer with a vibrant blue reminiscent of deep waters. Made from Organic Ethiopian Cotton, this is fair trade and makes a great gift (for yourself) $56.00

Easy Healthy Recipe - Artichoke Pasta

Posted by Pam Davis on Apr 12th 2018

So, everyone should have a Christine in their life. She has the natural ability to make Easy Healthy Recipes with flavor! The best part is she loves to share her concoctions with us and so we are sharing with you! Pasta with Artichokes Ingredients: Sauteed Ground Turkey Fresh Garlic roasted in olive oil Fresh Peas Quartered Artichoke Hearts Sauteed Mushrooms in olive oil, garlic powder, salt Sundried tomatoes Chicken broth - 1/2 cup Pesto - 4 tbsp Red Pepper Flakes Gluten Free Pasta - Rotini Parmigiano Cheese

Bring Your Baby to Work - The Essential 5 Point Guide

Posted by Melissa McKee on Apr 8th 2018

Bring your baby to work - Ever wonder what it takes to be able to take your newborn to work with you? Are you trying to decide if this is a viable option for your family? I have been fortunate enough to be able to work with all three of my children at various ages and in a couple different careers and now I will impart what I’ve learned on you in this handy 5 point guide.1. Prepare well in advance for every day your baby will be joining you in the workplace. This is the very most important advice I can give you, which is why it’s the longest and most detailed part of the Guide. Everything you do to prepare will make or break how successful you are in your job and as a parent.You will want to start by packing the diaper bag. Whether you bring your baby to work five days a week or one - this step must be done in completion EVERY time. Pack enough diapers, wipes and outfits for a weekend away. The day you forget to do this your baby will sense it and make sure to poop through every diaper you have nearby. Heck you might want to pack a second “emergency bag” to leave in the car all the time, just in case. Babies love to test your preparedness. You will also want to have a second pair of clothes and shoes for yourself as well. Trust me on this one - it is essential. I have one ruined pair of boots to prove it.You will also want to have plenty of entertainment for baby. Not screen entertainment, though. That’s cheating. Pick three toys that your baby absolutely loves more than anything and then… hide them for at least a month. You don’t want the novelty to wear off. You will need to do this for every day you come to work. If you think that crinkly stuffed toy kept her happy yesterday and will be good enough today, you are dead wrong. Prepare to pick that beloved toy off the floor a hundred times because being used in a game of Mommy Fetch is the only possible way that that toy could ever be interesting again.Also, you will need the basics: changing mat, light baby sweater, heavy baby sweater, a couple hats, a swaddle blanket, a crib blanket, a security blanket, a play mat, a white noise machine, baby monitor with fresh batteries, a baby carrier that can be worn on your back, a soft baby carrier to snuggle a sleeping baby, no less than 10 burp cloths, a second nursing bra, nursing pads, a nursing necklace to keep your little one focused in a busy environment, a travel crib, the car seat obviously, maybe a stroller for when all carriers fail? Basically, you want your boss to wonder if you are moving in permanently. If you have a hand free when walking to the car you are doing it all wrong.Don’t forget to pack your lunch! And a snack. And another snack. And water. And all the tea. You need to keep your energy up, especially if you are nursing, so you need extra calories - but not junk calories! Make sure it’s high in protein, iron, Vitamin D, essential fatty acids, whole grains, superfoods… you get the picture. Fuel yourself. With everything. As long as its healthy. (But bring secret chocolate)Now that you are packed make sure baby is freshly bathed, diapered, and dressed in something super adorable because everyone will want to take pictures all day long. Feed baby one last time and then get ready to put her in the car seat. What’s that smell? Start all over.2. Set goals and prioritize. It helps to make a list of everything you need to do and rank the list in order of importance. Cross out everything except the number one task. It’s all you are going to be able to do. Make peace with that.3. Maximize efficiency with nap time. It’s all about that nap, all work gets done during this period of sleep. Do not let baby fall asleep in the car on the way to work. That wastes precious nap time. Once you arrive at work make your first and primary focus be getting your baby to sleep - even if it takes an hour or two. Set up the white noise machine. Unfold the port-a-crib while laughing at yourself because you know you will end up working one handed around the sleeping baby on your lap. Keep that tea within arms reach at all times and do not question whether the caffeine in that tea could be counter-productive to getting your nursing baby to sleep. THIS IS A CONCERN FOR ANOTHER DAY! Today you need it. Accept this. Back to getting baby to sleep - turn off all alerts, ringers, and alarms, set your face to “do not dare try to talk to me while I am rocking/nursing the baby,” dim the lights if possible, get yourself cozy in your office chair because you are going to be trapped under that sleeping angel for awhile...annnnnnnnd now you have to pee. Good luck.4. Reward yourself by buying things for the baby with your paycheck. This might be a me-only problem because I am SURROUNDED by the cutest baby toys, clothes and accessories ever but I like to believe it is important to my sanity.5. Be grateful. No, seriously - while it might seem like you are going to be lost in this madness forever it is actually such a short time and not everyone can recharge with a whiff of that sweet new baby smell. It might not make sense to you, but turns out that this setup will make you the envy of everyone who has never done it. Besides, if you think taking your baby to work is hard just wait till that baby is a toddler.Bring baby to work - not sure it is for you? I also have lots of tips on working from home with baby...and the rest of the family too!! Do you have any advice for moms or dads taking little babies to work with them?

Our Favorite Spring Recipes: Salads & Sides

Posted by Sonya on Mar 23rd 2018

We love providing our families with the gift of good, organic food, and seasonal spring produce fresh from the Farmer's Market and/or our local CSA is a bright, refreshing change of pace after winter's heavier meals. Today, Our Green House staff shares some of our favorite spring salad and side dish recipes. Pam: One of my favorite spring recipes is this tasty quinoa salad with feta cheese that my friend Christine shared with me. It's an easy, nutritious dish to throw together and makes great use of the abundance of organic baby spinach that spring brings. Cook: quinoa Chop: grape tomatoes, red onion, lots of fresh baby spinach, pitted kalamata olives, feta Dressing: olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, oregano Serve: with grilled chicken or grilled shrimp Kerry: I’m in charge of the bringing the same two dishes to our holiday gathering every spring (stay tuned for a spring desserts blog post next week!). These scalloped potatoes, originally from a 1971 Florence Junior Welfare League cookbook, are an excellent, delicious brunch side that is requested year after year. Using organic, pastured dairy products elevates this comforting side dish from its 1970's traditions. Sonya: I've loved asparagus ever since I was a little girl, snapping off the fresh stalks in my parents' garden and gobbling them up before anyone else could get a taste. This year I wanted to try something new with it, so last week we experimented with shaved asparagus and pea shoots. Everyone at home loved this shaved asparagus salad recipe so much that we've already made it a second time and decided that it's coming with us to our extended family Easter celebration in a couple weeks. What I did differently than the original recipe: I used 1 1/2 hearts of romaine and added roughly 1 1/2 cups of pea shoots. The second time we made it, I used feta cheese instead of the chevre. It's really bright and flavorful both ways!

Men's Grooming Trends: Is the beard here to stay?

Posted by Melissa McKee on Mar 16th 2018

Is the beard staying?? Many men have jumped on this trend in the last couple of years and now everyone is asking if it has staying power. Our prediction, based on our Instagram poll from earlier this week, is that facial hair is not on its way out yet, but that the beards we will continue to see will be more trimmed and maintained. Take a look back over the last 100 years of men’s grooming with a fun video that transforms one man’s look to fit each decade. If history can be counted on to predict the future we may have some interesting trends to watch out for. What do you think we will see as we get ready to round out this decade? Share your thoughts in a comment below.

When is it Good to Give + When is NOT Good to Give?

Posted by Andrea Anderson on Feb 23rd 2018

Guest Post by Andrea Anderson Yes, that’s right. It’s good to NOT give sometimes. Why? Because when we give, we want it to be when it feels good to give. When we’re excited to share a cool gift with someone. When we find something that we think someone will love and we’re thrilled to be able to share it with them. Or when the inspiration comes over us to do something for someone. It’s then that you’re giving from your heart. You’re giving from a place of LOVE. ? This is soul-inspired giving. This is the time to act. And, when we give because we’re in the mood to give and inspired to give, it gives back to us! We FEEL it! We feel the love and lightness of purchasing and sharing that gift with someone. When we feel like we have to give and we honestly have zero interest in giving, this is when we can feel annoyed or resentful of giving. We may think to ourselves, I don’t want to spend the money or why do I have to buy another gift? This means you’re operating from obligation mode. And, maybe even on autopilot with operating from obligation mode (this means you often do things because you think you have to, not because you really want to…) Functioning from obligation mode and yes, gift buying, sharing and giving from obligation mode is a recipe for feeling annoyed and depleted. You may even get annoyed at the person you’re supposed to give to, thinking they’re the issue. All the while, it’s you feeling stuck and operating from obligation mode. Hey, been there and done that. However, the remedy for this is to listen. Listen to what feels good. Listening to what feels good is a way to actually hear what your soul wants. And, if you’re not into the “soul” thing, it’s a way to just plain feel awesome! So yes, give when you feel good. Give when it feels good to give. And, give when you’re inspired to give. And the coolest part of giving when you’re inspired to give? YOU get to feel awesome! Here’s to feeling awesome and giving from the heart!! PS: If you dig fair trade home, organic baby, his + hers cool stuff, you may find yourself inspired by some of the new items at Our Green House

The History of Valentine's Day Gifts

Posted by Lindsay Gibson on Feb 7th 2018

How did Valentine’s Day Begin? Valentine’s Day is approaching. Chocolates. Flowers. Cards – and possibly some other gifts to express our love for those special people in our lives. Perhaps you will spend it with your spouse or partner at a special dinner or a nice getaway together or you two will be home celebrating with your children. After all – aren’t they the ultimate “product” of your love together? However, a parent time-out is good too! Valentine’s Day is seen by some as rather cliché, maybe even not celebrating it at all for those couples – but no matter which way you look at this holiday – it will forever be known as the day of love. Whether you go all out in celebration or not at all, what many don’t realize, is how Valentine’s Day began. The history of this day stretches hundreds of years back – marking February 14th as a significant day in times past and present. Lupercalia, an ancient Roman festival beginning around the 5th century, holds the roots to this old holiday. This celebration marked the early start to spring and symbolized not just love, but fertility as well. The traditions of this festival were not exactly beautiful, as the priest would sacrifice a goat and go around the village to all of the young women touching them with bloodstained goat’s skin – calling in the spirits of their ancestors to reincarnate and re-birth themselves through these young women. The women then would put their names in an urn and single bachelors of the town would draw a name to begin courting that woman for marriage. Strange? Yes, to us. For them, however, it was completely normal and maybe even a little romantic. I’ll just stick with the chocolates… Remembering St. Valentine Valentine in Latin is Valentinus – which means: worthy, strong or powerful – was a very popular name between the second and eighth centuries. Therefore, there are multiple accounts of a Saint Valentine that can be traced back to this holiday. However, there is one man who really inspired the beginning of Valentine’s Day in the 1400’s and is officially recognized in the Roman Catholic Church and he died around AD 270. The legend has it that Valentine was a Priest who was beheaded by the emperor Claudius II on February 14th, for secretly marrying Christian couples. It was believed then that the Roman soldiers were too distracted by women and marriage and made better soldiers if they didn't get married - therefore marriage was banned. The emperor wanted a strong army! Valentine was eventually caught for performing these secret and illegal weddings and while awaiting his execution in jail - it is known that he sent love letters to a young blind girl. This girl was the daughter of one of the men who was told to judge his sentencing and the love he expressed to this girl in many ways healed her! He always signed these letters, “from your Valentine…” Today, many of us sign our Valentine's Day cards the same way! While the happenings of this time were not exactly romantic, St. Valentine was later recognized by the Catholic Church as the official Saint Valentine – because he strongly held onto the values of love and marriage after it was banned. This is something the Catholic Church firmly believes in still today and how it marked Valentine's Day as an official holiday. Spread Love All Around When you are signing your cards – remember St. Valentine and his strong stance on keeping real love flowing in a very permissive society. Even if don’t want to celebrate the traditional way – that is okay. Offer time with your loved ones with a warm hug and maybe take turns sharing one thing you love about each other. However, if you are looking for a unique and creative gift - check out our Make Your Own Gift Baskets for Him and Her. What about yourself? Show yourself love with some self-care. Give your hard-working body a nice steamy bath. Add in some of your favorite oils for extra soothing love! Bundle up and go for a walk in the sunshine, soaking in its rays and taking some deep, restoring breaths. Curl up on the couch with a good book or a movie and just relax – maybe even order some take-out so you don’t have to cook! Loving yourself will only enhance the love that you give to others – all year through.

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